1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container such as, for example, an epitaxy profiled tube or epitaxy bell jar. In particular, the present invention teaches methods of providing a closed-ring flange of transparent quartz glass on either an inner or outer surface of a portion of a vitreous quartz pipe or container.
2. The Relevant Technology
Quartz glass system components are used in a multitude of processing systems, including epitaxy and semiconductor processing. As exemplified by product literature such as Heraeus Quarzschmelze GmbH's Heraeus-Quartz, Quartz Glass Products for Epitaxy (PHL-B50E, E 3C 0.89/N Ku), which disclosure is incorporated herein by specific reference, pipes and containers for epitaxy, including profiled tubes and bell jars, having ring-shaped flanges made of transparent quartz glass are conventional. Pipes and containers of these types are generally manufactured from vitreous quartz. Depending on the desired application, the pipes and containers may be formed from either transparent or opaque quartz glass or may contain portions formed from one, and other portions formed from the other, of these materials. In some applications, these pipes and containers may be employed for treating electronic components at high temperatures in controlled atmospheres.
The openings of such pipes and containers are typically equipped with conventional connectors comprising flanges to thereby provide means for effecting a gas-tight seal between the pipe or container and the corresponding supply and connecting components of the processing system. Although the pipes and containers typically have a circular cross-section, it is also known to use pipes and containers having square, rectangular, hexagonal, elliptical, D-shaped, or other cross-section geometries, which also are equipped with connecting flanges. The flanges are usually cut out of transparent quartz glass plates and are then welded to the opening of the pipe or container. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. S55-52906, published Jan. 26, 1983, discloses depositing a transparent quartz glass flange over the axial face of an opaque quartz glass flange surrounding the opening of a quartz glass core pipe or bell jar. In this manner, an improved gas seal was achieved compared to the opaque quarts glass flange without the addition of the transparent quartz glass flange.
With respect to cutting flanges from transparent quartz glass plates, it will be appreciated that a certain amount of unavoidable scrap material peripheral to the cut-out portion must be expected. In addition, the central opening cut-out portion of the flange typically cannot be reused and, thus, represents wasted material as well. The cut-out flange usually must also be ground at least on the outer circumference surface corresponding to the outer diameter of the flange. Formation of the central opening of the flange is particularly difficult in the case of curved openings. Sawing plates are usually not suitable for cutting along the inner curvature and, thus, the openings must be formed by drilling or grinding processes. The cutting and grinding processes necessary to produce cut-out flanges require diamond-tipped saw blades and grinding disks which are not only expensive to obtain initially but generally have short service lives.
Based on the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to furnish methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container which minimize material waste.
It would be a further advancement in the art to furnish methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container which eliminate the need for cutting and grinding process steps.
Such methods and apparatus for providing a transparent quartz glass connector on a vitreous quartz pipe or container are disclosed and claimed herein.